Wall panels with electric junction box



S. BOLEF ET AL WALL PANELS WITH ELECTRIC JUNCTION BOX sept. 27, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 17, 1958 INVENTORS: Silas Bale/PL2 JosayU/z Paca,

ATTORNEYS.

S. BOLEF ET AL NAL-L PANELS WITH ELECTRIC JUNCTION BOX sept. 27, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 17, 1958 Ffa; 2

lNyENoRs: Silas Balai' A TTORNE YS.

UnitedStates Patent Oice 2,954,419 Patented Sept. 27, 1960 2,954,419 WALLPANELS WITH ELECTRIC JUNCTION Box Silas Bolef, 172 Powderhorn Road, King of Prussia, Pa., and Joseph Peca, 4019 Ellendale Road, Drexel Hill, Pa.

Filed Jan. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 709,552

s Claims. (C1. 174-48) This invention'relates to improvements in a method of constructing a building, and to the elements of a Prefabricated building structure. More particularly, this invention relates to pre-cast concrete wall and ceiling panels having embedded therein an electrical junction box unit, and to the electrical junction box unit for use with the pre-cast concrete panels.

It has heretofore been desired to use pre-cast concrete panels in the construction of buildings such as office buildings, Navy and Army barracks and oiiicers quarters, and other such building construction. Use of such precast concrete panels, however, has presented diiiiculties in making provision for the electrical circuits. Attempted solutions to the problems presented have been by haphazard means and none of these means have been entirely successful. In some cases holes were `dug in the erected panels and a flexible connection of some sort was made between the wires which were run through the wall panels and the wires which were run through the ceiling panels. These procedures gave the structure an unsatisfactory appearance since patching of the holes in the concrete was required. Moreover, such patching or grouting of the concrete was also expensive.

It is an object of this invention to overcome the aforementioned diiiiculties and problems.

It is an object o f this invention to provide a method of quickly and efficiently constructing a building.

It is another object to provide pre-cast wall and ceiling panels having provision made therein for electrical wiring. It is another object to provide such panels which are attractive in appearance and which require no grouting or patching of the concrete.

It is another object to provide electrical junction box units for pre-cast concrete wall and ceiling panels, which units are universal and can be positioned to conform to the plans and specifications of the building under construction.

It is another object to allow leeway for considerable misalignment of the elements of the electrical junction box unit with respect to each other, without interfering with the elfectiveness or eiiciency of the assembled unit.

It is another object to allow for the threading of electrical wiring through pre-cast concretel panels and to provide for efficiently connecting the wiring of one panel to the wiring of another.

Other objects and -advantages of this invention, including its simplicity and economy, will further become apparent hereinafter and in the drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary view in vertical section of a prefabricated building structure constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View in perspective of the prefabricated building structure of this invention;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of a ceiling junction box constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a wall junction box constructed in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the cover plate element of the invention.

In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

Turning now to the specific embodiment of the invention selected for illustration inthe drawings, the number 11 indicates generally Ia prefabricated building structure including a vertically positioned pre-cast concrete wall panel 12, a pre-cast concrete ceiling panel 13 which is supported by wall panel 12, and a junction box unit generally designated by the number 14.

Wall panel 12 is of considerable size and forms a portion of the wall of the building under construction. It is cast either at the factory or at a convenient location on the site of the building construction. ln either case the upper edge 15 of wall panel 12 has imbedded therein a Wall junction box 16 which is preferably made of metal. lf desired, the lower edge (not shown) of wall panel 12 is similarly provided with a wall junction box.

Wall junction box 16 includes a bottom 17, a rear wall 18, two side walls 21, 22, and a pair of iianges 23, 24 extending inwardly from the edges of side walls 21, 22. Flanges 23, 24 are pro-vided with tapped holes 25, and flanges 23, 24 together with bottom 17 define an access opening 26 in wall junction box 16. The upper edges of side walls 21, 22 and rear wall 18 define a horizontal register opening 27. Side walls 21, 22 are provided with knockouts 28. A conduit 31 extends from junction box 16 through botto-m 17, and electrical wiring is passed through conduit 31 to wall junction box 16.

Ceiling panel 13 has imbedded therein a ceiling junction box 32 which is cast in the concrete in the same manner as was wall junction box 16. Ceiling junction box 32 is made preferably of metal and includes side walls 33, 34, end walls 35, 36, and top wall 37. 'Extending inwardly along a portion of the edges of side walls 33, 34 are flanges 41, 42 which are provided with tapped holes 52. The edges of end walls 35, 36 and Side walls 33, 34 define a horizontal opening including an access portion 43 defined by end wall 35 and flanges 41, 42, and a register portion 44. Side walls 33, 34 are provided with knockouts 45. A conduit 46 extends from ceiling junction box 32 through end wall 35, and electrical wiring is passed through conduit 46 to ceiling junction box 32.

Junction box unit 14 also includes bonding screw 47 which is screwed into a tapped hole in ceiling junction box 32, and bonding screw 48 which is screwed into a tapped hole in wall junction box 16. Bonding wire 51 extends between bonding screws =47, 48 which hold wire 51 in place. Screws 47, 48 and wire 51 electrically connect ceiling junction box 32 to wall junction box 16.

Junction box unit 14 also includes a cover plate 53 which is large enough to completely cover access opening 26 of wall junction box 16 and access portion 43 of ceiling junction Abox 32 even when these junction boxes are considerably rnisaligned, that is, when register portion 44 of ceiling junction box 32 is not in complete register with register opening 27 of wall junction box 16. Cover plate 53 is supplied without holes and holes 54 are punched in it after wall panel 12 and ceiling panel 13 have been erected. The holes 54 are punched so that they register with holes 52 and 25 of the flanges 41, 42, 23, 24. The holes 54 in cover plate 53 are thus tailored t-o each junction box unit 14, and the plate is ailixed to junction box unit 14 by screws 55.

The process of constructing a building from such precast concrete panels includes the steps of erecting the pre-cast concrete wall panel 12 which has inbedded in its top edge 15 the wall junction box 16 having vertical access opening 26 and horizontal register opening. 27. With wall panel 12 in position, theV next step is to erect the pre-cast concrete ceiling panel 13 which has the ceiling junction box 32 inbedded therein which includes the opening having the access portion 43 and the register portion 44. The register opening 27 `of the wall panel 12 is placed in at least partial register with the register portion 44 of the ceiling box 32. Then the boxes 16 and 32 are electrically connected together by inserting the bonding wi're 51 beneath the bonding screws 47, 48 and tightening down on Vthe screws. Finally, holes l54 are punched in cover plate 53 and screws 5S are tightened to hold the cover plate against the flanges 23, 24, 41, 42 of junction box unit 14.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred embodiment. Various changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement of parts. For example, equivalent elements may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein, parts may be reversed, and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently of the use of other features, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A prefabricated building structure comprising a precast concrete wall panel having imbedded in its top edge a wall junction box with a vertical access opening and a horizontal register opening; a pre-cast concrete ceiling panel supported by said Wall panel and having imbedded therein a ceiling junction box with an opening therein including an access portion and a register portion; the register opening of the wall box and the register portion of the ceiling box being at least partly in register; and a cover plate afiixed to said boxes and completely covering said access portion of the ceiling box and said access opening of the Wall box.

2. The prefrabricated building structure defined in claim 1, wherein is also provided means for electrically connecting said ceiling junction box to said wall junction box.

3. The Prefabricated building structure defined in claim 2, wherein said electrical connecting means includes a bonding screw in each box and a bonding wire joined therebetween.

4. A prefabricated building structure comprising a vertically positioned pre-cast concrete wall panel with a horizontal edge having imbedded therein along the horizontal edge a wall junction box with a vertical access opening and a horizontal register opening; a horizontally positioned pre-cast concrete panel having imbedded therein a horizontal junction box having a horizontal opening including an access portion and a register portion, the horizontal edge of said Wall panel being in abutment with said horizontally positioned panel; the register opening of said Wall junction box and the -register portion of said horizontal junction box being at least partly in register; and a cover plate aiiixed to said boxes and completely covering the access portion of the horizontal junction box and the access opening of the Wall junction box.

5. An electrical junction box unit for use in a prefabricated building structure including a pre-cast concrete wall panel supporting a pre-cast concrete ceiling panel, said junction box unit comprising wall box means including a vertical access opening and a horizontal register opening imbedded in the top edge of a pre-cast concrete wall panel; ceiling box means having an opening therein including an access portion and a register portion imbedded in a pre-cast concrete ceiling panel; the register opening of the wall box providing for registering at least'partly with the register portion of the ceiling box; and a cover plate sufiiciently large to cover completely the access portion of the ceiling box means and the access opening of the wall box means even when said boxes are misaligned.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 415,642 Judge Nov. 19, 1889 803,089 Bigelow Oct. 31, 1905 1,229,576 Boyton `lune 12, 1917 1,683,600 Black Sept. 11, 1928 2,414,575 Windsor Jan. 2l, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 349,300 Great Britain May 28, 1931 

